O 16 British CoLumBIa. 1923. 

ORNITHOLOGY. 
NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE PLUMED Ee@rer (MESOPHOYX INTERMEDIA) IN BRITISH 
CoLuMBIA, BY FRANCIS KERMODE. 
In the year 1915 Mr. J. H. Fleming, of Toronto, visited the Museum and drew my attention 
to the snowy heron which we had labelled as Ngretta candidissima, which had been secured by 
the late John Fannin at Burrard Inlet some years ago. Mr. Fleming kindly sent me in January, 
1916, a skin of MWesophoyx intermedia, the Asiatic white heron, to compare with the one in this 
Department, as he was puzzled with regard to the exact species of our specimen. 
Up to this time our specimen of this bird had always been acknowledged and looked upon 
as the American form Egretta candidissima, and, not having sufficient material for comparison, 
the matter had been left in abeyance for some time. However, in September, 1922, Mr. P. A. 
Taverner, the Dominion Government Ornithologist, visited the Museum and wished to see the 
specimen of snowy heron which had for so many years been reeognized as Lgretta candidissima. 
He took descriptions, measurements, and made drawings of the same to compare with the 
specimens in the Victoria Memorial Museum, Ottawa. Mr. Fleming had loaned me a skin of 
Mesophoyx intermedia, and in comparing with our bird they seemed identical. On October 17th, 
1922, Mr. Taverner wrote me from Ottawa, as follows :— 
“Regarding the Egret: Whatever this bird is, it is not one of our American species. As 
far as I can see, it is identical with Fleming’s specimen. but I am not well enough up on Asiatic 
species to identify it as such with confidence. It should be sent somewhere where they have 
an ample foreign collection, and prohably the United States National Museum would be the best 
place. Have compared the drawings and measurements I made in Victoria and am only convinced 
that we have nothing like it in our collection. The only question remains is just what it is and 
whether the data attached can be absolutely depended upon. Do you think it can? I under- 
stand that Mr. Fannin was not at his best during his later years and that errors may have crept 
in—P, A. TAVERNER.” 
Mr. Allan Brooks also had correspondence with me in regard to this bird during the 
year 1922, and so as to have the identification of the specimen settled, I sent it on to the 
Biological Survey Department at Washington, D.C., asking Mr. W. C. Henderson, Acting-Chief, 
to have Dr. GC. H. Oberholser examine the specimen and compare it with specimens in the 
National Museum. The reply which I received from Mr. Henderson, Acting-Chief, Bureau of 
Biological Survey, is as follows (dated January 16th, 1925) :— 
“The three specimens that you sent some time ago for examination by Dr. Oberholser have 
been duly identified, and are being returned to you by express collect. The names you will find 
on the labels of the specimens. The heron turns out to be Mesophoyx intermedia in full breeding 
plumage. If the data on this bird are authentic and there is no reasonable doubt of its being 
the specimen originally taken on Burrard Inlet, it would prove to be an interesting addition 
to North American birds. We should be glad to have your opinion regarding this, as it is a 
matter of considerable interest in our work on ithe distribution of North American birds.— 
W. ©. HENDERSON.” 
In regard to the dispute which seems to have arisen with reference to this bird being the 
specimen secured by the late John Fannin at Burrard Inlet, May 29th, 1879, I have looked up 
all records that I ean find and have found a list in his own hand-writing by John Fannin of 
“Birds collected prior to 1886.” In this list he records the little white heron, May 29th, 1879, 
3urrard Inlet. I have known this bird since September 25th, 1890, as it was in a case in the 
Museum when I first entered the Provincial Government service in this Department; and, 
furthermore, I have since looked up photographs taken by Mr. Albert H. Maynard, of this city, 
in the years 1890-91, and this specimen appears in the case. It has been suggested that probably 
the late Mr. Fannin had taken and duplicated the record of this bird with a skin purchased 
from a commission agent in this city years ago. This idea has been proved incorrect, as this 
bird had been recorded in the late John Fannin’s “ Check-lists of B.C. Birds,” also in Montague 
Brown's “ List of the Birds of Canada in 1887.” In speaking to me about this bird years ago, 
Mr. Fannin always informed me that it had been shot at Burrard Inlet by an Indian. I have 
also endeavoured to get in touch with people who knew Mr. Fannin at Burrard Inlet since 1862, 
when he first arrived in British Columbia. Besides getting the information in the ‘ Check- 
lists of the Birds prior to 1886,” and the fact that Mr. A. H. Maynard told me he remembered 


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